JJ, I'm genuinely surprised. You're getting hornery in your old age!
And maybe just a little too uncivil... ;-)

Let's get one thing clear. I've asked, repeatedly, for you to explain
how we're to manage traffic on the face of cylinder during ASTs. And
you've offered NOTHING specific, except to imply that I simply don't
get it. I am raising valid concerns, have put some small effort into
explaining my concerns in prose and pictures, and I'm getting dogmatc
replies. Which tells me that there aren't well-reasoned answers, yet.
They'll come, I'm sure, but apparently not until we've scared ourselves
silly a few times as we learn the disadvantages of the cylinder by
trial and error. Note that other than Montague last year (only 13
competitors), I'm not aware of a cylinder being used for non MAT tasks
at the Stds, 15s, 18, or Open Nats... that is, we haven't tested it in
conditions where a dozen or more gliders of equal performance might
approach the cyliner in a very short span of time.

I accept that you've established yourself as the Cylindrical Champion
and thus accept a certain amount of righteous indignation that I and
others might prefer and justify demon finish lines. But now you need to
convince a few of us who have valid concerns about high/low speed
conflicts that these have been thought through and adequately
addressed.

As I noted earlier, I see the dynamics of the cylinder as very much
similar to the old start gate. Worse, since the effective gate size is
smaller and the wing level runs much longer (at least in the start gate
you were able to scan traffic for several minutes while circling at the
IP prior to your run - even so, it was a anxious half minute in the
gate).


C'mon JJ. Give me some substance. Show me some real numbers. Use my
valid assumptions to prove me wrong instead of offering up an idyllic
paint by numbers picture.

Cheers,

Chris O'Callaghan